Genomics of Brain Disorders

25–27 April 2016

Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK

Summary

We are pleased to announce this new conference on the Genomics of Brain
Disorders, which will bring together researchers working on
neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases for the first time to compare
approaches and emerging lessons. The aim is to encourage practitioners of
neuroscience, systems biology, bioinformatics, epidemiology and genomics
to discuss and debate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression, and
neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s
disease, are placing an increasing burden on the developed world.
Technical advances over the past five years, including genome-wide
association studies and new generation sequencing studies, have led to
the discovery of many predisposing loci for both psychiatric and
neurodegenerative disorders.

This meeting will summarise the advances and remaining challenges in the
genomics of various brain disorders, focusing on the lessons from each
field and charting the way forward. We will discuss recent insights into
genomic architecture and the emerging biology of disease. We will
consider how best to gain biological understanding from both common and
rare allele findings and explore the translational and clinical
applications, focusing on early detection of risk, biomarkers and
stratified medicine.

*Artwork credit: Jessica Johnson

Programme

The conference will start at approximately 12.30 on Monday, 25 April and
close at approximately 13.30 on Wednesday, 27 April 2016.

Scientific sessions

  • Genetic architecture
  • Connecting genetics to biology
  • Systems biology
  • Population studies
  • Modelling disease
  • Predicting risk
  • New technologies

Organisers and speakers

Scientific programme committee
Alison Goate Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,
USA
John Hardy
University College London, UK
Mike Owen
Cardiff University, UK
Pamela Sklar
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Keynote speaker
Steven Hyman Broad Institute, USA

Confirmed speakers
Preben Bo Mortensen Aarhaus University,
Denmark
Mark Cookson National Institute of Health, USA

Bogdan Draganski University of Lausanne,
Switzerland
Kevin Eggan Harvard University, USA
Nick Fox University College London, UK
Dan Geschwind University of California, Los
Angeles, USA
Seth Grant University of Edinburgh, UK
Cathryn Lewis Kings College London, UK
Thomas Nichols University of Warwick, UK
Mina Ryten University College London, UK
Patrick Sullivan UNC School of Medicine, USA
Cornelia van Duijn Erasmus University Medical
Centre, The Netherlands

Conference organiser
Emily Rees Wellcome Genome Campus, UK

How to apply

Registration Fees:

Student No accommodation £290.00
Student On site twin accommodation £380.00
Student On site single accommodation £450.00
Academic No accommodation £390.00
Academic On site twin accommodation £480.00
Academic On site single accommodation £550.00
Commercial No accommodation £490.00
Commercial On site twin accommodation £580.00
Commercial On site single accommodation £650.00

 

The registration fee includes entrance to the lectures and poster
sessions, an abstract book, meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments
during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have
booked accommodation.

Registration deadline: Closed

Accommodation
Accommodation is provided for the nights of 25 and 26 April 2016. Please
note: there is limited on-site accommodation and this will be allocated
on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, early registration is
recommended.

If you wish to book onsite accommodation either side of the conference
dates, please contact the Conference Centre directly.

Travel visas
Contact the conference organiser if you require a letter to support a
travel visa application. Note that letters will be provided to confirmed
registrants.

Non-European Economic Area or Swiss nationals may be required to have a
visa to enter the UK.
Early application is strongly advised, as this process can take 6-8 weeks
or longer.

Please visit the following websites for further information:
UK Border Agency website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/

Information for general visitors and business visitors: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/business/business-activities/

Cost

A limited number of registration bursaries are available for PhD students
to attend this conference (up to 50% of the registration fee) from
Wellcome Genome Campus Scientific Conferences.

The following documents will need to be provided:

  • Abstract
  • CV
  • Covering letter
  • Letter from supervisor

To apply, please contact the conference organiser.

Bursary deadline: Closed

Abstracts

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the
meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral
presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted.

Please register prior to submitting your abstract. Please note: abstracts will only be considered from registered delegates.

The scientific programme committee will assess your abstract after the
deadline has passed and you will be notified whether you have been
selected for an oral or poster presentation.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-
portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the
conference programme book and poster boards will be allocated at the
conference.

Abstract deadline:  Closed

Abstract guidelines

  • Format & Font: Prepare your abstract in Microsoft Word in 11-point Ariel Font.
  • Title: The title should be concise and be in bold, sentence case.
  • Author names: The presenting author’s name must be the first name to appear on the list of authors. Underline the name of the presenting author. For each author give the forename followed by the surname.
  • Affiliations: Please list the authors and affiliations directly under the title, separated by one empty line, and followed on additional lines as necessary. Indicate each author’s affiliation with a superscript numeral following the surname.
  • Abstract length: should not exceed one 1.5-spaced page. The total word limit is 400 words (to include title, authors, affiliations and abstract narrative).
  • Abstract narrative: must be clear and concise. Clearly describe the problem you are addressing, the results to date and any conclusions you can draw from them, so that your abstract can be evaluated by the programme committee. Avoid saying in effect ‘a solution to XYZ problem will be presented’. Please ensure that your abstract is checked for correctness of spelling and grammar in advance of submission.
  • Subheadings: Please avoid the use of subheadings in the abstract narrative.
  • References: A separate list of references at the end of the abstract is not necessary.
  • File name: should be the same as the surname of the presenting author.
  • Download a sample abstract document (Microsoft Word), which can be used for formatting purposes.
Back to top Back to top